


Revealing Rivals

by SkyWrites



Category: Trails in the Sky, 英雄伝説VI 空の軌跡 | The Legend of Heroes: Sora no Kiseki (Video Games)
Genre: Comedy, F/F, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Le Locle, Mentions of Estelle/Joshua, Play Fighting, Roughhousing, Smut, Trails in the Sky SC, Tribadism
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-08
Updated: 2019-04-08
Packaged: 2020-01-06 19:08:20
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,429
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18394544
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SkyWrites/pseuds/SkyWrites
Summary: Takes place directly after Trails in the Sky's First Chapter. During Estelle's training in Le Locle with Anelace.Estelle, still aching over Joshua's disappearance, finds herself not doing quite as well as she'd hoped. Luckily, Anelace just won't leave her alone, and proves to be the ultimate rival she's always dreamed of. And maybe a little something more.





	Revealing Rivals

**Author's Note:**

> I'm very late into the Trails scene. I'm playing through SC now, but I am just so in love with the characters and the game that I just had to write something for it! If I got any details horribly wrong because of this, I apologize, but please also try to avoid spoilers for me in the comments if possible! 
> 
> Estelle is quickly becoming one of my absolute favorite characters ever, and I loved how her an Anelace bonded in Le Locle, and especially at the end when it seemed like Anelace was about to confess her feelings.
> 
> Thank you for reading!

Cool mountain air licked at her sweat covered skin, a welcome respite during her strenuous activities. The wind was picking up at Le Locle, yawning awake as a pair of Bracer women worked themselves tirelessly every morning. The sun rising at their fronts, and the silent green trees at their backs, this lodge out in the middle of nature was the perfect stage for girls to become women. 

Their training had gotten really intense.

Estelle couldn’t help but be disappointed in herself. Sure she always talked big, sure she told everyone how she would never give up and all that crap! But truth be told, Joshua’s disappearance weighed heavily on her. Especially the fact that he chose to disappear. To get away from her.

“Hey, pay attention, or I’ll ruin that cute face of yours!” Anelace shouted, snapping Estelle back into reality before slicing the air right under Estelle’s nose.

“Geez!” Estelle cried, stumbling backward, the smell of flowery perfume and polished steel overpowering her.

Anelace grinned, her trademark ribbon shining as bright as her smile under the sun. “Neither of us would want that, right?”

“… Want what?” Estelle asked slowly. Anelace, trying so hard to be the pretty girl, was awfully sweaty. It was distracting.

She frowned. “To cut your face!”

“… What about cutting my face??”

“Aidios, help me.” Anelace sighed and wiped the sweat from her brow. “Estelle, you’re spacing out again.”

Was it Estelle’s fault? Was it just because she was too stupid? Too useless? Maybe she wasn’t as feminine as he would have liked. Not like Anelace. Anelace was a Senior Bracer, (Sure, Estelle was one too! And, sure, Anelace only just became a Senior Bracer as well, but…) she was tough, she was cute, and… well okay, she wasn’t much smarter than Estelle, but she was cute! That’s all boys cared about, isn’t it?

“Estelle!” Anelace shouted. “You’re literally spacing out while I’m telling you you’re spacing out!”

“Huh? What?!”

“Ugh!” She gritted her teeth and stamped her boots into the dirt. Anelace was not typically an angry person. Until you went into battle with her. “You know, I get it! You’re still upset Joshua is gone! But you’re not going to get anywhere if you just keep  _ thinking _ about it! The whole point of coming out here was to train! To get stronger!”

Estelle felt her eyes twitch. She always.  _ Always  _ tried to hide that. But anytime someone mentioned his name, she would flinch. How pathetic of her. Anelace knew it better than anyone, too. They had already been together for a month, and Anelace knew every move Estelle could ever make. Anelace had a sharp eye for battle. Every movement, every blink. Anelace knew.

“Sorry. You’re right,” Estelle said.

This kind of thing happened all the time. Usually it wasn’t in battle. Most of the time it was during breakfast, or lunch, or second lunch, or third lunch. Anelace always joined her for meals, they both seemed to share a love for food. And every time, Anelace would catch Estelle getting down. And every time, she’d say, “Don’t worry, Estelle. You’ll get through this! I know you’re strong! You beat me in the martial arts tourney after all, right?”

Except… things were a little different this time. Anelace was practically bouncing on the balls of her feet, her armored skirt rising and falling with each motion, her ribbon positively dancing with energy.

“You  _ should _ be sorry!” Anelace shouted, clutching her sword. “You have the nerve to beat me in front of a huge crowd, and then lose to me in every battle afterwards when no one is looking?!”

“Huh?” Estelle found herself saying for probably the billionth time in her life.

“Yeah, you heard me!” Anelace yelled, taking a dangerous step forward. Her sword gleamed under the morning sun. “You won that fight, so it must not be nearly as important to you, but I think about it every night!”

“Every… night?”  _ Okay, Estelle, now you’re just repeating what she’s saying. _

“Agh! Don’t change the subject!” Anelace’s free hand scrambled through her perfect hair, messing it up in frustration. Wow, she must have been really hyped up over this. “Now you’re just repeating what I’m saying!”

“Geez.”  _ She even said what I was thinking. She knows me so well. But… I know her pretty well, too, don’t I? Other than the obsession with cute things, we’re pretty similar, aren’t we? _

“Shut up!”

“… I didn’t say anything!”

“You were  _ thinking _ something!”

Estelle frowned. “So? I’m allowed to think, aren’t I?”

“All you  _ do _ is think, now!” Anelace said. “When you beat me, I could tell you weren’t thinking a damn thing! When you had Joshua running around the city around with you, you never let a single thought cross your mind!”

Estelle narrowed her eyes. She felt heat rising to her cheeks, and just about everywhere else. “What’s  _ that _ supposed to mean!? Are you saying I’m dumb!?”

“Yes!” Anelace yelled through a sweaty breath. “What else could it mean? Only a dumb person wouldn’t get that!”

“You’re one to talk!” Estelle growled, now totally focused on this angry girl before her. “How many times did you fail Kurt’s pop quizzes, huh?!”

“Oh!!” Anelace retorted smartly. “Literally only one more time than you! And that’s because he gave me the quiz  _ first!  _ You had more time to think out your answers!”

“Pft, yeah right!” Estelle held her staff tightly between her fingers.

The polished wood, the smoothness of the thing, it balanced her. She hadn’t really noticed it since she left Grancel, since Joshua. She had forgotten how important this staff was to her, how it was a part of her. She may have lost Joshua, but she still had this. This staff never left her, this stupid stick was right here with her.

That, and Anelace.

Even in her anger, she couldn’t forget the time they spent together. Estelle was never a girl who was good on her own. She spent so much time attached to Joshua at the hip! It meant so much that Anelace wanted to come along with her to Le Locle. She never left Estelle alone. She never minded when Estelle kept crying like a baby, wailing and wailing like a child that had lost her teddy bear.

Truth be told, Anelace cried like a little girl when she lost her  _ actual  _ teddy bear, too. Honestly, that made Estelle feel so much better. It was so nice knowing that she wasn’t alone, that she wasn’t the only Senior Bracer who didn’t have have it all together.  

There were so many times where Estelle didn’t feel worthy of the title Senior Bracer. She was sure that she had only gotten that position because Joshua, the Black Fang, assassin extraordinaire, had carried her all the way to the top. He had been making most of the decisions and aiding her all along the way. It was actually Zin who beat up that giant Guardian, it was Tita who solved all of their technological troubles, it was Kloe who healed them and talked them through any political disputes.

Estelle was just a burden to everyone. Well, maybe she was more helpful than Olivier at least.

But… Anelace. Did she do it on purpose?

There were times where Anelace would follow her around like Joshua did. Times during Kurt’s training sessions where she wasn’t sure what to do and would look to  _ Estelle  _ of all people for guidance! And!... Sometimes Estelle would even guide them to victory! Instead of asking Joshua for help, someone was asking  _ Estelle _ for help, and she could do it! She actually knew the right thing to do in a situation sometimes!

“Hmph!” Anelace whined, her cheeks puffed out in that girly way of hers. She was angry, but it wasn’t threatening, it wasn’t malevolent. Estelle couldn’t explain it. “You’re good at thinking on your feet! You’re not good at thinking ahead unless it’s five seconds in the future!”

Hmm. Estelle supposed she was right. There were times where even Joshua followed her lead when things were dire, weren’t there? Maybe she had trouble seeing far into the future, but she was working on it, and-

“I told you to  _ stop spacing out! _ ” Anelace yelled, her sword glinting like a cat’s eyes in the dark. Before Estelle could properly react, she felt the rip of fabric at her chest, and the thunk of her staff blocking the next strike.

“Hey, what’s your problem?!” Estelle groaned, barely able to glance at the tear in her shirt. “Schera just got me this new outfit and you’re gonna ruin it!”

Anelace pushed her sword down  _ hard _ onto Estelle’s staff. Estelle had to use both her arms just to keep her balance and to keep herself from being crushed! Anelace was usually more about agility than strength, but this sudden power was astounding. And through it all, Anelace kept her own balance, knowing Estelle could easily counter at any time, but using raw strength to keep her pinned.

“It’s a really cute outfit!” Anelace shouted weirdly, sweat dripping down her forehead. “I don’t  _ want _ to ruin it, but you’re not giving me much choice! Take me seriously, already!”

“I am!” Estelle countered weakly, her legs shaking.

“No, you’re not! If Joshua were here, you would have beaten me up by now!”

Something snapped inside Estelle’s skull.

“Shut up!” she yelled, finding herself with the energy to kick the sword right out of Anelace’s hands.

The force of it  _ somehow  _ threw Anelace backwards, way farther than Estelle would have figured. Her face was as red as an Attack Quartz! Was Estelle really that strong? Maybe she really did have some latent power after all…

“Y-you cheater!” Anelace stuttered, her sword plopping into the dirt ungracefully.

Estelle narrowed her eyes. “What? How’d I cheat? I played it fair and square!”

Anelace’s legs didn’t seem to be working. She was just sitting there in the dirt, pointing at Estelle like she were a criminal. “H-how’s it fair for you to kick me like that and just flash everything at me!?”

“What are you talking about?!” Estelle was dumbfounded. Anelace really did not seem herself today. There were always times where she acted strangely, just never this extreme.

“Oh, you really are that dense aren’t you?!” Anelace huffed, scrambling back up to her feet.

Estelle felt that comfortable grip of her staff in her fingers again. She felt that pride rushing back to her, that adrenaline from winning a fight. It felt like it had been ages.

“Just come out and say it then! You’re being a sore loser, aren’t you?”

Anelace’s face remained as red hot as her anger. “Ugh! Estelle, you’re aware your new outfit doesn’t have you wearing shorts, right?!”

Instantly, ready to counter, Estelle said, “Yeah, so!?”

“Which means, you’re wearing a skirt now!”

“Uh-huh! Glad you have eyes!!!”  _ Ha! Gottem. _

Anelace looked like she was about to explode. “Yeah, well, maybe you should wear underwear when you wear a skirt, you idiot!!”

Estelle felt a breeze run through her.

“Buh?”

_ No. Wait. Okay. Let’s go through our morning routine. … … Okay, I can’t really remember it. I was… mostly moping about stuff, again. No. I didn’t forget to… _

The breeze felt quite good.

Oh. Oh, Aidios. This… This was a thing Estelle did, wasn’t it!? Sometimes she did forget to wear underwear, but it didn’t matter! She had shorts on. No one ever knew! So what if she forgot? But now that she was wearing this skirt…

“Y-yeah! See!” Anelace stuttered, still pointing that accusatory finger. Oh no, is this what criminals felt like?! “I always knew you were a dirty cheater! I never knew how low you’d stoop!”

Considering they were on a mountain, it was awfully breezy. A particularly strong gust could…

Anelace fell back on her butt. “H-have you no shame, woman!? You’ll stop at nothing to win now, huh?!”

Estelle dropped her staff, clutching at this stupid traitorous skirt. This is why she never wore the dumb things! She knew skirts were too girly for her! She told Schera it’d never work!

_ ‘Oh, come on, just try it while you’re out training! I think you’ll find it’s more comfortable and will leave you with more movement opportunities! Plus, it looks cute on you! You should really embrace your womanhood from time to time,’ _ Schera had said to her.

“Womanhood my ass!” Estelle shouted to past Schera.

“Huh??” Anelace stared, dumbfounded.

“I, uh!!!”

Her ribbon bounced with energy. Anelace puffed out her cheeks. “I won’t be beaten that easily, you know!”

“Look, I, I just… I forgot, I’m sorry, I haven’t been paying attention and…”

But Anelace wasn’t hearing any of it. Her hands went up into her skirt, between her legs. Estelle was losing her mind. She knew she wasn’t in the right headspace! This was further proof. There was no way this was happening.

“Two can play at that game!” Anelace shouted proudly, her hands returning with a tiny pink lacy thing. No. No that wasn’t…

A little teddy bear smiled happily on it. Oh. It was definitely. It was ultra girly, and it was ultra cute, and it was the expensive kind you had to tie up at the sides like little ribbons! Estelle didn’t even know underwear like that actually existed! Let alone that actual people wore that!

“Ha!” She grinned, holding the pink panties proudly in her gauntlets like it were a legendary weapon. “Look at that! You’re practically already beaten!”

“Anelace, I,” Estelle tried to say, clutching her skirt and trying hard to put her eyes  _ anywhere  _ else. But it was pretty hard to look away from a fully armored woman waving her panties and sword around.

“Ohhhh, none of that, cheater!” Anelace huffed, smug as can be. “Your technique is pretty good, I’ll give you that. I didn’t expect I’d be learning a thing or two from y _ ou _ like this.”

“No, I…” Estelle tried to say. At the very least, Anelace’s skirt was mostly armor and not something the wind could blow away. Just…. It was the fact it was  _ there  _ now.

“Put up your weapon!”

“Huh?”

“Argh!! You’re so frustrating!” Anelace let her underwear drift away into the wind without a care in the world. With one hand free, she grabbed Estelle’s staff and shoved it into her unaware hands.

Except… It was still so windy now, and Estelle’s skirt…

Anelace’s face went red instantly, but she shook it off. “Oh no you don’t! Not this time! Hiiiyah!”

And with that, Anelace gracefully kicked the staff out of Estelle’s limp hands. Although Estelle was barely even holding onto it in the first place. Not that she possibly could.

Especially when she saw it all. Anelace made sure of it. Made sure the sun’s position would best light it, made sure the wind would help keep that skirt up high, and made sure to hold the pose.

Even her…  _ that… _ was cute.

Estelle fell back into the dirt, her mind as steamy as the open-air baths in Elmo Village.

“Can’t you even give me a dignified loss?!” Anelace cried, staring down at Estelle’s fallen over form, legs spread out over the dirt. “Or is this… are you still trying to beat me!?”

Estelle couldn’t even respond. Something was burning in her chest. Even the breezy mountain winds couldn’t cool her off. It was such a strange feeling. Anelace stood over her, hands at her hips, skirt just short enough to show it off again.

It really was cute. She clearly took good care of it. Oh, and Estelle hadn’t even mentioned her butt yet, which, geez. Why did she have such an urge to grab it? It looked so pretty under her dress and…

Wait a minute! What in Aidios’ name was Estelle thinking?!

“Schera was right!” Anelace said proudly, pinning Estelle down on the ground with her boot. “There really are different ways to fight that aren’t just with weapons.”

Estelle didn’t fight back. She didn’t  _ want  _ to fight back. Which was weird. Usually Estelle would never let someone walk all over her like this! Literally! But the way Anelace was doing it was almost… gentle? It didn’t hurt. She was acting tough, but she was still that cutesy teddy bear loving girl on the inside.

She was still there for Estelle. She wouldn’t leave Estelle alone.

“So, do you admit defeat now?” Anelace said through curled lips. “I am invincible after all.”

Something surged through her. Estelle jolted up, propping herself back into the fight with the help of her trusty staff. She landed a kick square into Anelace’s breastplate, fully aware of her newfound power as well.

“Or are you!?” Estelle smirked.

Anelace stumbled back, her ribbon bounding along with her, but she gripped that sword of hers tight, and grit her teeth down into a determined grin. “That’s it! That’s the Estelle I’ve been waiting for! That’s the Estelle I’ve been dreaming of every night! I knew you were real!”

“…Okay, you keep saying that. What do you mean ‘dreaming of every night??’”

“The real you!! The true you!!” Anelace stabbed her sword forward. Estelle dodged with ease. But Anelace followed it up with another kick, and it left Estelle breathless at her graceful form. “That tough tomboy girl! The one who went into a fight without a second thought! Who gave it everything she had! Ohh!! She is SO. CUTE.”

Estelle, for some reason, found herself sweeping Anelace’s legs with her staff, tripping her and leaving her oh so open. “Yeah, well, you know, I could say the same thing! You may be girly, but you certainly have some tomboy tendencies of your own!”

Anelace swung her sword down onto Estelle’s staff, leaving them back into their power struggle. Her face was so close to Estelle’s that she could actually feel Anelace’s hot sweaty breaths against her lips. Even her breaths were cute. Intoxicating, even.

“So, you admit I’m cute?” she asked with a smirk.

“Pft,” Estelle groaned under the pressure, but she did not fall to the sword. “Come on, everyone knows you’re cute. You’re begging for it with that big ribbon of yours!”

“Oh, you’re one to talk,” Anelace huffed, her lips so close, her body pressed against Estelle’s. “You and your boy sneakers, acting like they’re not the most adorable thing on you, and then those two big pigtails on your hair! You have no idea how hard I have try to  _ not  _ wrap myself around in them and play with them!”

Estelle’s mind was a steamy haze. Her heart pounded a hypnotic beat through her chest. But through it all, she felt herself smiling so hard, she felt her troubles, her worries melting away under the heat of their fight.

“Yeah, try  _ not _ to play with them?” Estelle antagonized. “I’d like to see you try! I wouldn’t let you near!”

A glimmer of cunning shot across Anelace’s eyes. Her lips curled into another grin. “Ohhh, you don’t wanna do that, Estelle! You don’t want me to use my full power to get ahold of something cute!”

Mesmerized by every movement of her lips, Estelle said lowly, “I absolutely want to do that.”

“Well! You asked for it,” Anelace said, backing off Estelle. It felt so cold without her near.

“Oh, come on,” Estelle laughed. “What could you possibly-”

In a flash, Anelace’s sword was upon her. It looked like her Eight Leaf Blitz, but something was different. Estelle went for the block, ready to protect herself, but it seemed Anelace wasn’t aiming where Estelle had predicted.

_ Rrrip! _

“Huh!?” Estelle grumbled out, attempting to block the next slash. Again, it came too fast, and it didn’t seem to be even aiming at her! There was another rip, another tug at her chest, and the breeze was really starting to get her! Was it that windy outside today?

Estelle took a brief moment to look down. “No… way!!” Her outfit was in tatters. Her armor was slipping right off her chest! No, no, no! Anelace must have cut the threads at the  _ exact _ right spot so that the armor itself would fall off! No one should be able to do something like this! No one but a girl obsessed with cuteness, no one but a girl who had been studying Estelle and her outfit for a month or more…

“I-I, I knew it!” Anelace stuttered, standing back and trying to admire her work. “Y-you’re not even wearing a bra!”

Estelle quickly tried to cover herself with her staff. “I, well, I!! You know?! I barely need one, okay!?”

“Just as I expected…” Anelace muttered, her sword hand trying to cover her red face. “Even those are cute…”

“Hey!!” Estelle growled, realization washing over her revealed body. “This was a nice outfit! You totally ruined it!”

Finally, the old Anelace returned, the one who wasn’t quite so battle crazed. “Oh! Oh no, you’re right. I’m sorry. I… I got a little carried away, I don’t know what came over me.” She shook her head. “But don’t worry! I can fix it. I’m actually great at sewing, I’ve had to fix a lot of teddy bears back in the day.” She smiled.

And yet, that smile couldn’t quench the flame burning in Estelle’s chest. For some reason, it only grew hotter, grew stronger. Her mind was a mess of wants and needs, things she didn’t know she wanted or needed, things she didn’t quite know  _ how  _ to get. But she needed them.

“And you say I’m the cheater!” Estelle took a step forward, her staff firmly in front of her, placing it dangerously under Anelace’s chin. “I can’t cut up your clothes like you did mine! How’s that fair?”

Anelace gulped, staring at the end of Estelle’s staff, breathing still heavy. “H-huh?” Her eyes roamed over Estelle’s body, and Estelle knew it. She wasn’t going to even bother trying to hide it anymore.

“Guess we’ll have to do this the old fashioned way, then!” Estelle growled, that need inside her overpowering everything. It demanded so much of her, so loudly. It was louder than even those negative thoughts, than those sad memories of Joshua. She needed so badly to get away from that, and the way Anelace looked at her was proof that she wanted to help.

With a quick swipe, Estelle knocked the sword out of Anelace’s hands. She barely even had a grip on it in the first place. Estelle followed up by simply tossing her staff to the dirt, but her hands needed to grip something.

She tackled Anelace to the ground, who fell with a shudder. Maybe Anelace just didn’t want to fight back. Estelle pinned her down easily, hands tight around Anelace’s hands, legs tied around her hips. The metal of her armor felt like ice between her legs, only urging her to move faster, to pin harder.

“E-Estelle, what are,” Anelace breathed out, unable to even finish her thought.

“I’m making this a fair fight!” Estelle said through gritted teeth. She rolled up Anelace’s skirt, pushed up on the armor around it, making sure everything was bare to see, just like Estelle. It was only fair. It was way better, too. Anelace’s body was so warm compared to that cold steel between her legs. It was much easier to keep her pinned.

Anelace let out a yelp, but said nothing more.

This… wasn’t quite right, was it? Something in the back of Estelle’s mind was urging her to keep going, though. To keep fighting. The warmth between her legs was maddening, and it was even warmer at Anelace’s. It was still so windy out, but Anelace kept her warm and safe from both the wind and the things she didn’t want to think about.

Estelle’s hands fumbled over Anelace’s breastplate, trying to get a grip over the smooth cold surface. Agh, how was she supposed to get this stupid thing off? Anelace ripped through Estelle’s so easily! Estelle tugged at the breastplate, keeping the other girl pinned down with her legs.

“Um, do you need a little help?”

“I GOT IT, OKAY?”

Estelle pulled up at the armor, trying to forcibly just… rip it out.

“Ow, ow, hey!!!”

“Sorry. Okay. I, uh, I need some help.”

Anelace gave one of her quirky smiles. “That’s fine! I just, um, I need to get up if that’s okay?”

Truthfully, Estelle didn’t want to get up. She liked feeling their skin touching together like this. She had never really been quite  _ this  _ close with anyone. But, on the other hand, it would be important tactical information to see how an enemy gets their armor off and, you know, maybe she could like, use that information for later? Yeah, that’s a totally real thing!

“Okay,” Estelle said, her voice sounding a bit more shaky than she realized. As soon as she stood up, boy did she feel cold and… uh… pretty naked. Everything was just out in the open in this wind, wasn’t it? Especially with the rips and tears. She wrapped her arms around herself in an attempt to stay warm.

“Uh! Heh heh,” Anelace laughed sheepishly, wiping the dirt off her armor. “I’ll just make it real quick?” Even she didn’t quite seem so sure of what she was doing, but it was clear she wanted to. There were a couple of  _ clink!  _ noises, some unclasping here and there, and with some puffy cheeks she held her breath and slunk out of her breastplate and shoulder pad. With a sigh, she tossed the metal part of her skirt too, leaving her only in some padded gloves, boots, and that tight fitting dress thing of hers.

She slipped her gloves off and began to unfasten the straps around her elbows. She was working on getting the boots off, too.

“No, keep those on,” Estelle found herself saying.

It was Anelace’s turn to say huh this time. “Huh?” Definitely a weird thing they shared.

“I’ve still got my boots and stuff on,” Estelle said. “We’re, um, playing fair after all.”

“Oh yeah,” Anelace said with a gulp. “So, um, should we… go back to… how we were?”

Estelle’s voice cracked. “Yeah! Um, if that’s okay.”

“Of course, it’s, you know, good to train and be prepared.”

“Yeah.”

Estelle’s heart was pounding again. Way too loudly. Just do it, already! It’s too cold!

Estelle pounced on her target. She pulled up Anelace’s dress with ease, feeling that incredibly intoxicating warmth between her legs again. Warm bolts of electricity ran up Estelle’s legs, across her spine, and back down between her legs again. Estelle learned recently that tingling is generally good, so she wasn’t about to stop now.

She could barely breath as she looked over Anelace’s delicate form. Without her armor, she looked so vulnerable, and with only this tight dress on her, Estelle could really see her… um, breasts. They were a bit bigger than Estelle imagined, but nothing to get jealous over. Although, it still was pretty unfair when she thought about it.

Without a second thought, Estelle grabbed the sword at their side. She pointed it down on her target. Anelace’s eyes widened.

“Estelle?!”

She’d never used one of these things before, preferring a  _ slightly  _ less-lethal weapon, but after all her time in battle with Anelace and everyone else using a sword, it came to her naturally enough. She plunged the sword downward, ripping the dress at its top ever so slightly. Anelace yelped, her arms desperately grabbing any part of Estelle she could.

It's job done, Estelle tossed the sword aside, marveling at the tiny rip she had made in Anelace’s clothing. Anelace still had her eyes clenched shut, but she didn’t fight back. Did she really trust Estelle that much?

“Sorry,” Estelle said through a sheepish smile. “That was a little sudden, huh?”

Anelace opened her eyes, and despite her hands and legs holding Estelle close, she glared. “A little sudden?! You could have stabbed me! I wasn’t even sure if you would!”

It happened before she could even process it. Estelle leaned down to that pouty face and kissed her, tasting some kind of cute sweet strawberry flavor. How was it her lips even  _ tasted _ cute?

“Here, does that make up for it?” Estelle asked, honestly unsure how this counted as a positive thing.

Speechless, Anelace shuddered, her lips frozen in shock. At least her bow was still dancing atop her head.

“I… I guess!” she stuttered.

“Anyways, making it fair is the important part, right?” Estelle asked, her hands gripping Anelace’s soft fabric.

“Uh… yeah.”

_ Rrrrip! _

Estelle pulled apart the tear she had made with both hands, ripping the chest region just enough so that Anelace’s breasts were exposed as well. Oh, that felt good. To be able to use her hands to tear something apart like that, and to be rewarded with such a… good view? Ah, and it seemed Anelace was wearing a cute lacy bra underneath! But, Estelle ripped that in half. She liked it better that way.

“Buh!?” Anelace whined. “Estelle!!”

“Let me make it up to you again,” Estelle said sternly, planting her lips against Anelace’s for the second time, quieting any protests. It’s strange. She expected to be more shocked that she was acting like this. She expected to be more upset, maybe? But at the same time… this wasn’t even her first kiss! Not anymore.

_ Someone _ stole that from her. So, at this point, she might as well go nuts and enjoy whatever kisses she wanted. Anelace seemed to be pretty happy with it.

Their lips stayed together longer this time, Estelle positively tingling with adrenaline. Her hands had moved down onto Anelace’s bare breasts, and her fingers groped and massaged their softness. Anelace let out tiny yelps and moans into Estelle’s mouth as fingertips touched her nipples, and each sound, each movement sent a breath of new life through Estelle. She drank in those feelings of pleasure hungrily, needing them.

Estelle was losing herself. Or maybe this was her true self? Everything had just been so confusing and so painful lately. Now that she had Anelace in her grip, just like her staff, she couldn’t let go. She didn’t want to lose her. This was someone special. She couldn’t lose that. Not again.

“Estelle,” Anelace finally gasped out, her lips still awkwardly fumbling for more. “This is… an amazing new battle technique.”

She didn’t know what to say back to that. Truth be told, as brave as she was acting, she was terrified on the inside. What if she said the wrong thing? What if she did the wrong thing? What if she hurt Anelace?

Anelace’s eyes focused up at her bare attacker. She saw something in there, something she could help with. Her ribbon bounded with energy, and she grinned. “But you’re going easy on me now!”

“I, I am not,” Estelle said in a low tone.

“Ahhh, I get it,” Anelace said, her hips ever so slightly pressing up against Estelle’s. Was she even aware she was doing that? It was so warm. “You’re trying to give me a chance so I can use the technique, too.”

“Bwuh?” Estelle mumbled out dumbly, finding that tingling sensation overwhelming.

“You’re an honorable fighter, Estelle.” Anelace’s eyes … gazed longingly into Estelle’s? Is… that what that was? “And,” she moaned, “Such a cute one, too.”

“Anelace, I,” Estelle started, but she couldn’t finish. Just what was she going to say? What did she want to say? She couldn’t bear to say something like that again, could she?

“Shhh.” She put a finger over Estelle’s lips and then kissed them, sending yet another jolt of electricity through her. “So, is it cool if I try out your technique on you?”

_ You know what this means, Estelle. _

“Yeah. Sure,” Estelle said breathlessly. It was just two friends training together. Why would she say no? Anelace has been there for her so much. She’s helped Estelle so much with everything. It was the least she could do.

Anelace did that cute giggle of hers that kind of turned into a bit of a manly cackle, nostrils flaring with way too much energy. In a flash, Estelle felt soft hands grab her shoulder, and then those same soft hands pushed her down into the dirt. Estelle didn’t even have time to fight back.

Before she knew it, Anelace had her pinned this time, her usual cute hair mussed and ruffled from their fight. That bow of hers, though, was pristine, sparkling even under the cool mountain sun. From below, Anelace’s breasts somehow seemed bigger!? She towered over Estelle, their legs entwined together, and her dress still pulled up so as to reveal and feel everything.

“Oh, now  _ this _ is empowering!” Anelace said, pressing her chest down onto Estelle’s, their nipples slipping onto each other in a rhythmic movement. Estelle already felt like she was going to burst. “I can see why you tried this on me! Aha, and look at that cute face your making! Oh, Aidios, its so  _ cute! _ ”

Huh? Estelle wasn’t making any face! Was she? Oh, but she felt so… good. Those tingles were washing over her like a warm bubbly bath. She could hardly respond with anything but a moan.

Sitting back up, Anelace’s hips rocked gently against Estelle’s, and she felt that wonderful warmth between them. Estelle’s hands mindlessly found their way up to Anelace’s breasts again, needing to grope and knead them for some strange reason.

“This is amazing,” Anelace sighed, eyes closing in a dreamy way. “I’ve got so much power over you with this technique! Look, I can even…” Anelace gently grabbed both of Estelle’s long pigtails in her hands, running her fingers along the shape.

Estelle glared as Anelace began to use the ends of the pigtails to fan herself and tickle her own nipples.

“Ah?” Anelace blinked, as if she was just caught in the middle of… well, doing what she was doing right now! “… Too much?”

“… Way too much.”

“Aww, come on, let me just have a bit more fun,” she whined, pressing herself back down against Estelle and wrapping the pigtails around herself like rope. “Hehehe, they’re so fun and cute!”

“I’m not your stuffed animal!”

Anelace’s eyes sparkled with mischief. “Do you want to be? I treat them real nice.” And she sealed the promise with another kiss, filled with lust.

_ Yes! _

“No!” Estelle growled weakly, barely able to convince anyone, even herself, as Anelace’s lips pressed against her neck so lightly. She peppered Estelle with kisses, each touch a shot of pure ecstasy.

“Mmm, that’s fine,” Anelace breathed out. “I like that you put up more of a fight than them anyway.”

Just what was this weird girl implying?!

Estelle had enough. As amazing as it was, as great as it felt, she also wanted to fight back, and she knew that of all people, Anelace would be the one to welcome it.

She grabbed Anelace’s shoulder, pulling herself up, and hopefully throwing Anelace down in the process. She learned that technique from Anelace after all.

“No, not so easy this time!” Anelace cooed, keeping her balance upright with a determined grin.

“I wouldn’t have it any other way,” Estelle said back, her eyes now level with Anelace’s. The two sat together now, their legs wrapped around each other, that warmth between them so close, slick with pleasure.

They kept an arm around each other for balance, but both propped each other up, both stayed on the same level together. Their hips rocked against each other, their breasts rose and fell against each other in a breathless rhythm. They were equals.

In the heat of it all, Estelle felt a hand hit between her legs. Barely able to comprehend in her pleasure-filled fog, she looked down to see Anelace’s finger had slipped inside of herself.

“What are you?...” Estelle started, but she didn’t dare finish. She wasn’t  _ that  _ stupid. She knew what this was.

“I, I have to,” Anelace stuttered, her fingers working inside herself so quickly, the knuckles of her hands hitting between Estelle’s thighs in a hypnotic rhythm. “I just…”

Who was Estelle kidding? She had masturbated before. Every girl has, right?...Right? Sometimes in the heat of battle you just… Ugh, forget it! There was no point in pretending anymore!

Estelle couldn’t wait, couldn’t fight the urge. Her own hand drifted down between her legs, eagerly accepting her fingers with wet lips. And as she worked, she could feel Anelace masturbating all the faster, could feel as their hips rocked together more and more.

They were fucking. Pure and simple. Estelle and Anelace were fucking, and they loved it. They loved each other, too, but didn’t dare say it, didn’t dare understand those feelings. For now, they wanted only to experience this pleasure together, to make each other know how good the other was making them feel.

Their lips could no longer leave each other. They kissed, and they kissed, and at some point, their tongues even found each other, sliding and pressing against each other much like their hungry bodies. Neither quite knew what they were doing, but they did know they wanted to do it together, and they didn’t want to stop.

And as their bodies rocked, as their fingers worked and they felt each other masturbate more and more, the pleasure built up so so much. They held each other close, and they felt their bodies shudder at the same time, felt the way their bodies roiled and tremored with orgasm. And they didn’t stop there. Not for a while. They needed more of each other, they couldn’t bear to be apart, they just couldn’t.

They lost themselves to each other, allowed everything to be open and there, allowed themselves to share their pleasure. And when they ached and could move no more, they fell to the earth besides each other, clutching each other, gasping for each other’s air.

“Estelle, that was… an amazing training session…”

She couldn’t even move her head to respond. Her eyes stared up at the bright blue sky, filled with cute fluffy clouds. The cool breeze brushed against her hot skin, soothing her weary body.

“Er, uh… yeah,” Estelle laughed sheepishly. “Really, um… exhausting.”

“Oh. Yeah,” Anelace said through panting breaths.

“… Um. But, uh. What time is it?”

“… I dunno.”

“… Isn’t Kurt going to come out soon to start our  _ actual _ training session?”

“… … Oh, Aidios.”

Estelle saw that bright yellow ribbon pop into the sky as Anelace shot up, distressed, mostly naked, and covered in sweat and dirt. Oh. Oh yeah. Sure, yeah, they were training and all, but it was probably best that  _ other  _ people didn’t see them like this? It was a, uh,  _ secret  _ technique after all!

The girls quickly scrambled up to their feet in a panic, scraping up whatever equipment and pieces of fabric they could find. They had gotten up early for their practice fight like every morning, so they still had time!! Just … not much.

Their equipment dangling in their arms about as much as their other naked parts, they scrambled behind the Le Locle training lodge, hiding behind some of the forests’ amazingly wonderful trees. Estelle had never been more thankful for trees in her life.

“W-what do we do!?” Anelace whined, looking to Estelle in a panic.

“Uh, um!!” Estelle’s mind was racing, her eyes darted to the front entrance, to the back, to the windows of their rooms on the second floor and… “Our windows! We climb in!”

“With all of our stuff?!” Anelace cried, sword and clunky breastplate practically falling out of her hands.

“I got this!” Estelle shouted triumphantly, taking her staff and tossing it like a javelin through the window to her room. The glass shattered into a million pieces.

“… Are you crazy?!”

“Do you have any better ideas?!”

“Aaaaaaaahhhh!!!” Anelace screamed as she, too, threw her weapon and bits of armor through the window.

“Hey, you’re throwing your stuff in my window!”

“I don’t wanna break  _ two  _ windows!”

“…Good point!”

Their stuff successfully tossed, save for a few misses and reshoots, Estelle quickly leaped onto the building’s surface, scrambling her Stregas, desperate for some kind of footing. Anelace wordlessly allowed her shoulders to be used as a stepping stool, for the small payment of being able to look up Estelle’s skirt and call the contents inside, ‘unbelievably cute.’

She couldn’t believe it was working! Estelle pulled herself up the window ledge, making sure none of her delicate parts touched any of the broken glass.

“H-hey! D-don’t forget me!” Anelace whined from below, trying her best not to be heard.

Ohhh. How was she going to pull Anelace up? Think Estelle, think!

… Her trusty staff!

Estelle scooped up her staff and leaned over the windows ledge, again, having to be real careful of that broken glass. “Here! Grab this!”

“Okay!”

And despite the logistics of this awful plan, Estelle, as usual, brute forced her way through it. She felt Anelace grab the staff and with all the strength of a Senior Bracer, flung the girl up and pulled her through the window in a flash, catching her in open arms. Glass crunched beneath their shoes as they stumbled over each other, making  _ very  _ sure not to fall.

And in each other’s arms again, their hearts beating together in both excitement and fear, they couldn’t help but allow themselves one more quick kiss. And maybe another, and maybe just one more…

“Estelle!” a stern voice boomed from behind the door. It was Kurt. “I heard glass breaking! Are you okay?!”

“I’m fine!” Estelle nervously shouted back, holding Anelace’s bare body close against hers in fright. “Um! Don’t come in, though! I’m…” she struggled to find an excuse, then looked down.

“I’m naked!”

… Well, it  _ was _ true?

“What?” Kurt shouted back, dumbfounded. “What in the world happened, then!?”

“…Bears, probably!”

Anelace shuddered, but didn’t dare make a noise.

“…  _ What?! _ ” Kurt repeated, before very audibly sighing. It was absolutely in the realm of possibility for Estelle to break her own window, and it was probably best to just drop it. “Look, okay, I’ll give you some time to get yourself decent, but please come down when you’re ready and  _ try  _ to explain what happened.”

“Okay!”

“…And you’re sure you’re not hurt?”

“Yep!!!”

Another sigh. “Okay. I’ll see you downstairs soon, then.”

They waited in each other’s arms breathlessly, listening for the distinct sound of boots heading down the stairs. Once there was no other noise but the mountain forest’s rustling trees, they let out a sigh of relief.

Luckily Anelace’s room was directly next to Estelle’s, so after a bit of caution, she peeked through the door and dashed through the hallway, holding her sword and breastplate over said breasts which desperately needed protection at the moment. Her door slammed shut, and Estelle knew they were in the clear. Or at least… as much in the clear as they could be.

Bracers weren’t the army, after all! They were pretty lax compared! And Estelle and Anelace were their own women! They could do what they wanted! Again, just… they wanted to keep their new technique secret! That’s all!

When Estelle had finally emerged from upstairs in her old outfit, free of any rips, tears, and glass, she ran into Robert, the lodge’s Orbal Technician. He was working on the orbal phone as usual.

“Oh, hey Estelle! Hey Anelace! I heard you guys training outside this morning! Man, sounded intense!” he said earnestly. Anelace had showed up behind, wearing a different set of armor.

They both froze in response. Estelle managed a weak smile, and luckily Robert was not… well… he was not the best at picking up on social cues, being an engineering guy and all. 

“Oh, haha, yeah.” 

An awkward silence washed over them as the three stood there, girls frozen on the stairs, engineer just smiling politely. 

“Well!! Gotta go!!” Anelace said, pushing Estelle out of her freeze status, down the stairs, and out the doors.

Next time, they would have to fight somewhere farther away.

* * *

The day had been exhausting. Estelle plopped down into her bed with a thud, so happy to finally be free of any glass shards after so many hours of cleaning. So much glass had landed in her collection of Stregas, too, and boy that was a nightmare to fix up. Her usual soft gown was a much welcome change over her armor, or ripped skirts, or sneakers or just… all of that battle stuff.

She stared out the window into the trees. It was hard not to, considering the whole…. shattered window thing. Robert promised to fix that as soon as he could. Boy, did it leave things feeling drafty in her room. And all that wind and breezes… it reminded her of the training session with Anelace.

T-that… That didn’t happen, right? Or did it happen? No, no, the window was still broken, her new outfit was still ripped, and the pounding in her chest at the mere thought of Anelace was proof of all that. How did that happen? Maybe it really was just a heat of the moment kind of thing? Good practice against, um, an extremely attractive foe?

It couldn’t have been love.

No. It couldn’t have been. Last time she admitted to that, last time she finally admitted it, it only broke her to pieces, like her stupid window. That’s what would happen if it was love. That’s what would have happened. So, it couldn’t have been that.

Estelle sighed and slipped under the blankets of her bed. It was still so cold. She tried to wrap the blanket around her tighter, but the cold winds still pierced her, still made their way to her. She thought of Joshua, she thought of how she had messed up so much, how she was nothing and how she des-

_ Knock knock! _

“Huh?” Estelle grumbled, taken away from her overly melancholy thoughts. Who could be knocking this late, and why did even the knock  _ sound  _ cute?

“Hey, Estelle. it’s me, Anelace. Can I come in?”

“Um, sure, yeah.” Estelle shook her head. No more bad thoughts. That wasn’t her. She was tough, she was like Anelace. Maybe even tougher.

Anelace crept inside slowly, her bright ribbon  _ still _ dancing in the wind, even in her pajamas. Why was Estelle not surprised she wore that thing to bed? Anelace’s PJ’s mostly consisted of, you guessed it, cute teddy bears and fluffy rabbits and things like it patterned all over. She was so predictable.

But… that predictability was nice sometimes. And all things considered, Estelle wasn’t sure why she was here, so, there definitely were some mysteries left in that girl.

Anelace stood at the door saying nothing.

“What’s up?” Estelle finally asked. It wasn’t like Anelace to be shy.

“Oh, you know,” Anelace waved a hand casually, but it did not at all come off casual. “I, um, lost my teddy bear for tonight, so I was just wondering if I could sleep with you?”

Estelle’s suppressed the urge to sputter. “Bwuh?! That’s kind of a big leap isn’t it? W-why do you need to… sleep with me?”

“I, I need something to hug while I sleep! It’s really important!”

“Hug a pillow!”

“I only have one!”

Estelle’s mind raced again. She  _ was _ cold. And Anelace was already shivering there, looking so lonely in the corner of the room, the moon’s silvery light shining against her hair so beautifully and...

“Okay, fine!” Estelle said, shaking her head.  _ Weird thoughts!! Of friend!! Stop that! _

“Yay!” Anelace hopped into the bed, knocking the wind right out of Estelle.

“Hey!”

She did that giggle of hers, the one where she breathed too hard through her nostrils. It was definitely not cute. … Somehow, though, that made it cuter.

“Sorry,” Anelace said between giggles, scooching under the blankets with Estelle. Her hands quickly wrapped around Estelle’s stomach lightly, hugging from behind. She was so soft and… so warm. “Is this okay?”

“Yeah,” Estelle said through a pleasant sigh. “That’s fine.”

Estelle felt a strange tingling sensation at her neck, the feeling of Anelace pressing her face into her hair and inhaling deeply.

“You’re so weird!” Estelle groaned. She didn’t hate it. Remember, tingling  _ is _ generally good.

“I can’t help it!” Anelace giggled. “Your hair is so pretty, and smells so nice, and its sooo soft!”

“Really?” Estelle asked. “Usually everyone jokes about how I’m like a boy and whatever.”

“You are sometimes!” Anelace said, still talking directly into Estelle’s hair. It tickled. “And that’s okay. I think you’re whoever you want to be, and the things you want to be are cute!”

Estelle’s heart was pounding in her chest again. “That doesn’t even make sense.” She needed to grab something again. She held Anelace’s hands. They were the closest things, the warmest things, and they gripped back just as hard.

“Well, whatever!” Anelace said with another giggle, snorting slightly.

“You can be boyish, too!” Estelle said.

“Huh? No way!”

“Yeah way!”

“Mmm, I guess so. Is that okay?”

Estelle turned around. She wanted to say it to Anelace’s pretty face, all shining in pale moonlight and whatever. “Yeah. It’s more than okay. I love that about you.”

_ LIKE THAT ABOUT YOU. I LIKE THAT ABOUT YOU, I MEANT TO SAY. _

Anelace brought Estelle in close again, demanding to get as much cuddle potential as possible. “I love that about you, too.”

Estelle went from being cold, to boiling. Her mind was in a haze again. What could these  **incredibly** _ vague  _ things mean? But as she pulled her gaze away from Anelace’s, she noticed something brown and furry behind her.

“Hey! You had your teddy bear the whole time!”

Anelace blinked. “Oh yeah. Oops.” She shrugged and grinned. “I meant what I said! I really can’t sleep without him!”

“Gah. Whatever,” Estelle sighed, nuzzling into Anelace’s chest, her arms always ready to hold tight. Estelle was too tired for this, and she was only getting sleepier in all this warm embrace stuff. Not to mention the rising and falling of her breathing was so weirdly soothing. Estelle had read stories about this stuff and always thought it was a cliché or something, but wow, was it comfortable.

Estelle’s mind quickly drifted into the sky, into dreams, lulled there by Anelace’s soft yet firm embrace, and her gentle breaths. It was the first night in quite a while that she slept soundly.

* * *

 

 

 

 

 


End file.
